How to Make a Competitive Analysis Presentation Deck [A Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Dec 9, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 24
A few weeks ago, while we were designing a competitive analysis presentation deck for one of our clients, Jordan asked us a question that stopped us mid-slide.
He said,
“How do I show that we’re better than our competitors without actually saying it out loud?”
Our Creative Director responded instantly,
“You don’t say it. You show it by framing the narrative around your strengths and their gaps.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on dozens of competitive analysis decks every year, and in the process, we’ve noticed one consistent struggle: most teams try to stuff the slide with data, hoping the facts will do the convincing. But they forget that clarity, story, and strategy matter just as much as facts.
So in this blog, we’ll talk about how to design a competitive analysis presentation deck that doesn't just compare companies, but positions you as the obvious choice.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Why You Need a Competitive Analysis Presentation Deck
Let’s get real. Most pitches sound the same. Every company claims they’re “innovative,” “customer-first,” and “better than the competition.” But when you’re sitting across the table from investors, clients, or your own leadership team, buzzwords won’t cut it. You need proof. You need a clear story that shows exactly why you’re ahead, where others are falling behind, and how you plan to stay ahead.
That’s where a solid competitive analysis presentation deck steps in. It forces you to move beyond vague claims and actually lay out the terrain — the key players, the differentiators, the gaps in the market, and your strategic advantages. When done right, it doesn’t just compare. It persuades.
And here’s the thing: you’re not making this deck for your competitors. You’re making it for the people who matter — decision-makers. So it has to be sharp, focused, and structured in a way that makes your advantage obvious without sounding desperate.
We’ve worked with startups who used this kind of deck to land Series A funding. We’ve helped enterprise teams use it to reposition themselves in a crowded market. And every time, the outcome depends on one thing: clarity. Clarity wins.
What we’re about to walk you through isn’t just how to “make a deck.” It’s how to position yourself in the minds of your audience as the smartest, strongest player in the game.
How to Make a Competitive Analysis Presentation Deck
Let’s start by agreeing on one thing: a competitive analysis presentation deck is not a spreadsheet in disguise. If you’re just dumping tables of feature comparisons and pricing charts into slides, don’t be surprised when no one remembers anything you said. A good deck tells a story — one where your company comes out as the inevitable winner.
We’ll walk you through exactly how we approach this when clients like Jordan ask for it. It’s not about flashy design. It’s about strategic communication. Here’s how you do it:
1. Know Why You’re Making This Deck
Before you create even one slide, ask yourself: who is this for and what do they need to believe by the end of it?
Different audiences, different angles:
Investors want to see market opportunity, traction, and how you stack up.
Clients care about your offering, value, and whether you’re the safer bet.
Internal stakeholders want clarity on your positioning and roadmap.
Each of these needs a slightly different flavor. So tailor it. A generic deck for “everyone” ends up convincing no one.
2. Start with a Competitive Landscape, Not a Warzone
One mistake we see way too often? Turning the first few slides into a battlefield. “Here’s why everyone else sucks and we’re amazing.”
That backfires. It makes you sound defensive.
Instead, give your audience the lay of the land. Who’s in the space? How is the market segmented? What are the categories of competitors? Show that you understand the market dynamics better than anyone else. That’s credibility.
We usually recommend starting with:
A high-level map of the competitor types: legacy players, tech-first challengers, niche specialists.
A market growth chart: Where’s the momentum? What’s shifting?
A positioning graph (X-Y axis): Where does each player sit in terms of price vs value, or innovation vs reliability?
This sets the stage and shows you’ve done your homework.
3. Frame the Comparison, Don’t Just List It
If you simply compare features line-by-line, your deck becomes forgettable. That’s because checklists don’t create positioning — narrative does.
Here’s how we frame it for clients:
Identify the three to five dimensions that matter most to your audience. These might be speed, ease of use, customer service, pricing flexibility, or integration.
Rank each player (including yourself) objectively, but frame the dimensions in your favor.
Here’s what we mean: If your product isn’t the cheapest, don’t use “Price” as a comparison point. Use “Cost Efficiency” or “Long-Term ROI.” Same data, smarter framing.
Jordan’s company, for example, was competing against older, cheaper players with clunky tech. So instead of showing a price war, we showed “Adoption Time,” “Training Required,” and “Automation Capabilities.” Suddenly, they looked like the obvious choice for scaling teams.
4. Create the ‘So What’ Slide
A huge chunk of decks we review get this part wrong. They spend 10 slides showing graphs and tables… and forget to explain what it all means.
Don’t assume people will connect the dots. Spell it out.
We always include a “So What?” slide. It says something like:
Here’s what this means for you
Why this matters in your current context
Why we’re positioned to help you win
This slide should be written in plain language. No jargon. No dancing around the point. If someone skimmed only this slide, they should still get the big idea.
5. Show Your Strategy (Not Just Your Product)
Your deck isn’t just about what you’ve built. It’s about where you’re going. A competitive analysis deck without a strategy slide is like a movie without an ending.
Tell the audience how you plan to:
Keep your edge
Expand your differentiators
Respond to market shifts
Build moats around your offering
For Jordan’s team, we created a simple visual that mapped current advantages against upcoming product investments. This helped investors see that their strengths weren’t accidental — they were strategic, and about to get stronger.
6. Don’t Hide Weaknesses. Reframe Them.
Yes, you’ll have areas where a competitor looks better. That’s normal. The trick is to address it without panic.
We use what we call the “Reframe and Redirect” approach:
Reframe the weakness as either a trade-off or a temporary gap.
Redirect attention to something that matters more.
Example: If a competitor has more integrations but you integrate with the ones that matter most to your target audience, say that. “While Competitor X supports a wide range of platforms, our focus is on deep integrations with the tools used by 90% of our customers.”
It’s confident. It’s honest. And it shifts the lens.
7. Use Visuals That Actually Mean Something
Don’t just add icons for the sake of it. Every visual in your deck should do one of three things:
Simplify a complex point
Highlight a contrast
Tell a story faster than words
We often use custom visuals like:
Strategy maps
Visual scorecards
Comparison sliders
Quadrants and maturity models
Avoid generic templates. When the deck looks like every other pitch on the internet, your message gets lost. Design is part of your positioning.
8. Tie It Back to the Customer
Here’s where most teams lose the plot. They make the deck about themselves. But the best competitive analysis decks make it about the customer’s lens.
Think of it this way: when someone’s looking at your deck, they’re asking, “What’s in it for me?”
So, for every slide you build, check if it answers one of these:
Why should they care about this comparison?
How does this make their decision easier?
What risk does this help them avoid?
At the end of Jordan’s deck, we added a “Client Choice Scorecard” slide. It summarized what customers care about and how the company met those needs better than anyone else. It wasn’t arrogant. It was clear.
And it worked.
9. Make the Ending Unskippable
The last slide is your mic drop. Don’t end with “Thank You.” That’s a waste of prime real estate.
Instead, finish with a clear statement of value:
A one-liner that sums up your positioning
A forward-looking statement of intent
A call to engage, explore, or act
If you’ve done everything right, this final slide doesn’t need to beg for attention. It earns it.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.